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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22615318">They kept it a secret</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AndThenHeGotKnockedUp/pseuds/AndThenHeGotKnockedUp'>AndThenHeGotKnockedUp</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Prodigal Son (TV 2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Age Difference, M/M, Mpreg, Secret Relationship, Whump, but still a little, pretty short and sweet, relatively low angst</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 18:33:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,877</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22615318</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AndThenHeGotKnockedUp/pseuds/AndThenHeGotKnockedUp</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Gil and Malcolm begin (or have had) a secret relationship and Malcolm winds up expecting. He's still working as a consultant with the team and hides it really well for a while. But then something happens, either someone finds out before he can make excuses to be away for a while, or EVEN BETTER, he gets hurt and Gil has to tell everyone as the medics see to him so that they know to help save their baby too.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gil Arroyo/Malcolm Bright</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>122</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Prodigal Son Kink Meme</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>They kept it a secret</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>At first they kept it a secret because neither of them knew where it was going. Gil had been more of a mentor than anything while Malcolm was growing up, and it could even be said that he was a father figure, too. Of course, Malcolm had crushed on him something fierce for a while after realizing he was bi, but still. He never thought Gil would ever look at him as anything other than a kid, and he was okay with that. The cop, on the other hand, had only once, when Malcolm graduated from Harvard, thought about how handsome the younger man was becoming.</p><p>Until Bright came back to New York. He’d noticed then, single and at a comfortable place in regards to his wife’s loss, that Malcolm was not just objectively handsome but fit a lot of what he’d always been attracted to in a man. Gil resolved to ignore it. Malcolm didn’t think of him that way, he was sure.</p><p>It took Gil practically moving into Malcolm’s loft to take care of him after his abduction to make them realize they were both wrong. Even then, with Malcolm healing physically and mentally and Gil out of practice with relationships, they took it slow. They learned to see each other as partners. They kissed, they cuddled. They eased into intimacy.</p><p>Then they kept it a secret because of Malcolm’s family. None of them would accept their relationship. Gil had a feeling Jessica would destroy him if she knew. Not just physically, though he was sure she would hit him for looking at her son like that, but she was also likely to ruin his reputation. (Malcolm quipped that the cop could be his kept man if that happened, but Gil knew it would wreck him to lose his mother.) Martin would rage, too, even if he couldn’t actively do as much as his ex-wife. And while Ainsley was somewhat more likely to be okay with it, neither of them expected her to really accept them.</p><p>Finally, they kept it a secret because of work. Malcolm was a consultant, but he reported to Gil and was brought in by Gil. Their relationship could create questions about their cases — not to mention unease about their shared history. They did agree that the team (Edrisa included) were more likely to be accepting than any of the Whitlys. Could they still tell them? Neither of them wanted to risk a slip of the tongue even though they trusted their team.</p><p>So they became very good actors by necessity. Gil touched Malcolm less outside of the loft or his apartment. Malcolm walked the line of not looking at him too much but also not noticeably less than he had prior to their relationship. They didn’t discuss dinner plans or anything else that would give away their evenings together. The only thing they could get away with was endearments — Gil still loved to call him kid or city boy.</p><p>No one knew.</p><p>_____________</p><p> </p><p>Malcolm hated his doctor appointments, but Gil would be worried and disappointed if he missed one, so he let the doctor examine the still healing scars from his time with John.</p><p>“You’re healing nicely,” she said finally. “I would prefer you eat more, but you have made progress.”</p><p>(Gil, unsurprisingly, tried to make sure he no longer skipped meals now that they were together more often.)</p><p>“On a related note, however,” she continued, “did you know you were pregnant, Mr. Bright?”</p><p>“<i>What?</i>”</p><p>“Your latest blood test had markers indicative of pregnancy. If you would like to proceed with it, you will need to eat more,” she insisted. “I believe that as long as you eat more consistently, your body should be healthy enough at this point to carry to term with few extra risks.”</p><p>He slipped a stress ball out of his pocket and tried to center himself. A baby? They’d been careful. Condoms weren’t perfect, of course, but they hadn’t noticed any rips or holes. He didn’t know if Gil wanted kids, let alone if he wanted them with him. He knew Gil would be an amazing father, but Malcolm… Malcolm never expected to have kids. He wasn’t sure he could parent anyone after his own childhood. Still, a large part of him wanted this. He was carrying Gil’s kid, and he wanted them.</p><p>“Mr. Bright?” She hesitated. “Mr. Bright, if you’ve been assaulted, we have resources available.”</p><p>“<i>No!</i>” He shook his head. He knew she was thinking of his abduction, but thankfully John had never approached him that way. “No, my partner and I just haven’t considered children yet.”</p><p>She smiled in relief. “Well, the blood test indicated you’re only about three weeks along, so you have some time. Discuss it with your partner, and we’ll move forward however you choose.”</p><p>___________</p><p> </p><p>“We need to talk,” is the first thing Malcolm said to Gil later that day.</p><p>“You don’t look like you’re about to break up with me, kid,” Gil responded, kissing him briefly, knowing that he doesn’t want to become distracted.</p><p>Malcolm didn’t smile. “I had my appointment today.”</p><p>“Bad news?”</p><p>“Conflicting news. Gil,” he said, taking a moment to study his partner’s face, “how do you feel about kids?”</p><p>The older man stilled. “How do <i>you</i> feel about them?”</p><p>“You know I wasn’t planning on having any.” He took a deep breath. “But this one’s growing on me. In me. I want them.”</p><p>Gil kissed him again, drawing it out this time. “I want them, too. You’ll be a good parent, Malcolm. I know you will.”</p><p>“I love you,” Malcolm said before going in for another kiss.</p><p>“Love you, too, city boy.”</p><p>____________</p><p> </p><p>Like their relationship, they kept the baby a secret. Malcolm’s slenderness wouldn’t give them much time until he began to show, and his suits were too tailored to hide a bump for too long, but they did have some time until they had to tell anyone. Both of them immediately ruled out lying. Gil wouldn’t be able to step aside and pretend the baby isn’t his, and Malcolm didn’t want him to anyway. The only option they had was to tell the truth and accept the fallout.</p><p>In the meantime, Malcolm would continue to consult on cases. He’d already been forced to step back on the more dangerous cases post abduction, and Gil fussing over him was something the team had long since gotten used to, so if he was a little more careful than usual, it wasn’t likely to give them away too early. But Gil was firm — he would be staying away from the more dangerous cases, and doing anything case related without backup was a no go.</p><p>Malcolm understood that. The longer he had to think about it, the more he wanted their baby.</p><p>He still created profiles, still looked at bodies in the morgue with Edrisa, still went out in the field with Dani, JT, and Gil. He just made sure to let one of them know when he realized something important instead of running ahead. He stopped pestering Gil to let him in on certain cases. (While they were alone at least. He had to keep up appearances around the team.)</p><p>It worked. They planned to begin telling people at twelve weeks, and so far, as he was pushing eleven, no one had said anything.</p><p>Of course, it wasn’t that easy.</p><p>The case the team was working on involved multiple burned bodies. Edrisa had discovered that the burning was done post mortem in an effort to hide the actual method of murder — strangulation. Unfortunately, the fire destroyed any fibers or other materials left behind by the murder weapon, but Edrisa speculated it was some kind of thick cord, not quite the diameter of a regular rope, but still sturdy.</p><p>Gil asked Malcolm to stay behind this time. He could look over the case, but this killer was prolific, and Gil was worried.</p><p>He had a right to be.</p><p>Four days into the case, while he and Dani were on a stakeout, his phone rang, Malcolm’s name popping up on the screen.</p><p>“Bright?”</p><p>“Gil,” he whispered. “There’s someone in your apartment.”</p><p>“<i>What?</i>”</p><p>Dani looked at him, startled by the fury in his voice.</p><p>“I was working in the bedroom, and I heard noises,” Malcolm continued. “I smell gasoline, Gil.” His breath hitched.</p><p>“I’m on my way,” Gil promised before barking at Dani to call for backup to his apartment.</p><p>“On it,” she muttered.</p><p>“I don’t think he knows I’m home,” Malcolm said.</p><p>“Probably not,” Gil agreed. If the killer did know… he didn’t want to think about it. “I must have pissed him off.”</p><p>“I’m sure you’ve angered a lot of killers.” His voice was fond.</p><p>“Too many.”</p><p>And then Malcolm cursed.</p><p>Gil floored it, but he and Dani weren’t the first ones on the scene. JT had been closer at the station and brought officers with him. They arrived in time to see him shoulder the door open. The apartment did smell of gas.</p><p>“He was in the bedroom,” Gil threw out, pushing past his subordinate on his way. “<i>Malcolm?!</i>”</p><p>He was in the bedroom on the floor a few feet away from the killer, the handgun Gil kept in his bedside drawer in hand. Their killer was bleeding and wheezing.</p><p>Gil let someone else deal with him. He dropped to his knees to see if he could get a pulse on Malcolm, which he thankfully did, but his partner was passed out, and that worried him. His neck was red and irritated, as was his face. One of his eyes was already swelling. The killer hadn’t come prepared to kill, just warn, but obviously he’d done damage. Gil ground his teeth — it looked like Malcolm would be one big bruise in a few days, and with him passed out now, who knew if his stomach had gotten hit.</p><p>A paramedic pushed him aside to get to the younger man.</p><p>“I’m riding along,” Gil insisted.</p><p>“You should stay behind to wrap this up,” Dani said. “JT or I can ride with him.”</p><p>Gil shook his head and focused on the paramedics preparing to move Malcolm. “He’s eleven weeks pregnant.” He heard JT’s muttered exclamation and Dani’s shocked silence but ignored them for now. “I’m his partner, and I’m riding along.”</p><p>_______</p><p> </p><p>“If I heard right,” Dani said a few hours later as she and JT entered Malcolm’s hospital room, “then congratulations are in order.” She hesitated. “They’re both okay, right?”</p><p>The profiler cracked his non-swollen eye open and smiled tiredly. “We are.”</p><p>“The doctor wants to keep him here for a few days to be sure, but it looks good.” Gil didn’t bother to remove his hand from Malcolm’s now that both of their secrets were out. “Neither of us wanted you to find out this way. We were going to invite both of you and Edrisa over for dinner next week.”</p><p>“Look,” JT said, “it’s a little weird, but we’ll get over it.”</p><p>“We will,” Dani agreed. “We’d still love that dinner, though.”</p><p>Malcolm wheezed out a laugh, and it was a relief, even though Gil knew the hardest part would be telling Jessica and Ainsley. But at least they would have some support.</p>
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